Thursday, July 22, 2010

When I got the Blu-ray for The Losers in the mail, I was interested in seeing what my reaction would be after seeing it a second time. It's a creampuff of a movie which I found enjoyable at the time of its release, with little aftertaste one way or the other. Seeing it again brings back one of the first thoughts I had back in April, I hope this quirky little action flick finds its audience on video.

Here's what I wrote about it back then:

The biggest surprise I've watched theatrically this year is the DC Comics adaptation, The Losers. This A-Team retread is inexplicably fun to watch despite trotting out some cliche action tropes like the snarky catchphrases which seem to consist the entirety of its dialogue. Like the often derivative Bond movies, its charm is in its casting, production design, and choice of locations. Filmed primarily in Miami and Puerto Rico, there is a distinctly tropical heat to the activity, also brought to the table by the increasingly notable Latina actress, Zoe Saldana (Avatar). She steals the show from just about everyone despite some able charisma by Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen) and Idris Elba (The Wire)... [just about] everyone but Jason Patric (Narc). Patric's wickedly funny performance as the CIA baddie could constitute the only reason to see this film even if the other elements of it failed. Not a great film by any stretch, The Losers is still good, trashy amusement.

About the only difference between now and then is that Carnahan's A-Team remake crashed and burned in theatrically and with critics (full disclosure: I can't bring myself to revisit a show I couldn't even stand as a kid) while The Losers fared fairly well with critics who enjoyed its endearing breezy attitude. Director Sylvain White brings a cocky, flamboyant, first-person perspective to the action which manages to avoid the annoying missteps of the Neveldine/Taylor visual school. Which is to say, take my word for it, this one is worth checking out (and checking out again, by the looks of it).

The Losersis now available on Blu-ray Combo pack, DVD, On Demand, and for Download.

About Me

Tony Dayoub is a screenwriter and film critic with a BSC in Motion Pictures from the University of Miami. He has written for Indiewire's Press Play blog, Slant Magazine's The House Next Door blog, and Nomad Editions Wide Screen, a digital weekly. Please follow Cinema Viewfinder on Facebook and Twitter. For questions regarding advertising, press screenings, or anything else, you can reach us by email here. Please include your name and hometown.